Wishful Storytelling: How to Put The "Young" and The "Restless" Back In Genoa City's 20-Something Set

Abby Newman ceased being interesting the day Emme Rylan beat a hasty retreat from Genoa City, Wisconsin for Port Charles, New York. That isn't a slam on replacement Melissa Ordway. She is a solid actress, but The Young and the Restless obviously had no interest in developing storylines for the character when she first came on.

Rylan was fired because TPTB had no story for her character. A fan revolt got her re-hired, and it is apparent the only plans devised were to have Abby (by this point played by Ordway) run around town, butting into her older relatives' love lives, while spouting cut downs from 90's rap songs.

"Hoochie Mama"? Seriously, who says that anymore? She should have called Kelly (Cady McClain) a slut-astrophe.

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Abby has been doled out near-identical no-mances with young, ethnic hunks on Y&R. First there was Chavez (Ignacio Serricchio), the cop who was too proud to date a billionaire's daughter. Then there was Tyler (Redaric Williams), the marketing whiz (I think?), who was too proud to live in a house owned by a billionaire's daughter.

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The only real difference in the two pairings—besides Chavez being Latino and Tyler being black—is that Tyler came with a mysterious ex named Mariah. The show wasted months having Mariah skulk around town, stalking this fantastically-boring couple. (She locked Abby in an apartment over night? Oh my!)

Flash forward to this past week on Y&R. We now know Mariah and Faux Cassie, the delicious, superbitch-in-training played by Camryn Grimes, are one in the same. Sports fans, I think we just might have ourselves a ballgame.

Grimes couldn't have been infused into this storyline at a better time. I literally cannot listen to one more monotone conversation between Tyler and Abby. Something had to give. Adding a wicked, devil-eyed minx just might work.

Abby is a Newman and an Abbott. Her mother Ashley (Eileen Davidson) was bedding married corporate raiders, and facing off with chinchilla-coat-wearing ex-strippers when she was Abby's age.

Big sister Victoria (Amelia Heinle) had already experienced her first two tumultuous, front burner love affairs, marriages and divorces by the time she was Abby's age. Did I mention, both of those former ingénues also worked tirelessly at their family empires?

Ashley was portrayed daily as a brilliant chemist, striving away in the Jabot labs, creating lucrative fragrances for her father's Jabot Cosmetics. By the time she could buy a drink legally, Victoria was launching Brash & Sassy, a complete junior women's division of a then-Newman held Jabot. Sure, Abby currently "runs Jabot Cosmetics", but thusfar all that requires is carrying around an Office Depot attaché case, while occasionally drinking smoothies at Crimson Lights during "business meetings".

Why are the actual "young and restless" Newmans and Abbott an afterthought on this show? Noah's (Robert Adamson) storylines have been equally half-baked. Summer (Hunter King) apparently exists to help Aunt Avery (Jessica Collins) snark at Ian Ward (Ray Wise) for daring to inquire about an online cooking program. Can Camryn Grimes be cloned like the chick on Orphan Black, to save all of these storylines?

Much like Victoria, Noah's parents have been driving meaty stories from the time they were in high school. Meanwhile, all Noah does is pork the day player blonde the show decided to make a cop. That isn't a storyline.

Courtney (Kelli Goss) being tipped off about designer drugs being sold out of Nick's club, causing her to have to investigate her new boyfriend's father, is a storyline. Courtney being recruited by the FBI's white collar crimes division, due to her close proximity to the mega rich and mega corrupt Newman clan, is a story. Courtney turning out to be the daughter of Nick and Sharon's (Sharon Case) high school chum Amy (Julianne Morris)—and the product of Amy being raped by Nick's sworn enemy Matt Clark (Eddie Cibrian)—is a storyline.

A horny dude palpitating his girlfriend's pink panties is nice and all, but it is not a storyline. Y&R needs actual storylines for the soap's youngsters.

Here's a quick storyline fix for Summer. Now that she's working at Jabot, Jack (Peter Bergman) tasks her with overseeing the launch of a new teen fragrance to be sold exclusively at Fenmore's. Fen (Max Ehrich) snags an internship with his mom's company for the summer. He's super stoked to reconnect with the object of his desire. They've both been through so much, and have grown up alot. Maybe, just maybe, Summer will start to look at him as more than a pal?

Fen's hopes for a summer alone with Summer are dashed when his cocky, opinionated and devastatingly-handsome older brother Scott Grainger (Wishful Casting: Chad Brannon) comes home. Lauren's (Tracey Bregman) eldest offspring has long-since given up his dreams of being a novelist. He's now a PR guru. Scott returns to Genoa City to help Lauren revamp the brand image of Fenmore's Department Stores, Inc.

Summer will be working directly with Scott on the launch of the new Jabot fragrance at his mother's chain of department stores and boutiques. The new GCAC store will serve as the test pilot. From the moment the troubled heiress locks eyes on the alpha male executive, something combustible happens.

No way is Summer about to let on how ready she is for Scott to bang her like crazy. The sexy jerk arrogantly dismisses every idea she pitches. "Who does he think he is?" Summer wonders. That is, when she isn't staring at the veins in his arms.

Scott is quick to remind Fen he's just a grunt, an intern, his pesky little brother, any chance he gets. While he sees the ribbing as good-natured fun between siblings, Fenmore's resentment of his brother grows.

Lauren keeps a close eye on the situation, determined to ward off any growing tension between her beloved boys. Michael (Christian LeBlanc) takes issue with Scott's attitude toward Fen and himself. When pressed, Scott admits he believes Lauren marrying into a family of fugitives has damaged the image of his family company!

Scott Grainger has lived all over the globe. He's tasted his share of beautiful, succulent women. There isn't a chance in hell he could fall for some blonde teenybopper from Wisconsin. Or is there?

When Fen starts to catch on to the growing connection between the object of his affection, and his masculine older brother, his dark, stormy mood swings begin to resurface. Fen vows not to let his brother steal his girl — or his birthright!

To add a little more sizzle, SORAS Summer's half-sister Faith to 17-years of age. The tempestuous Lolita develops an intense, all-consuming crush on Scott.

Faith and Fen work together to achieve their mutual goal — putting an end to Scott and Summer's romance before it even begins. When Faith learns Summer and Scott are planning a romantic, rooftop meal at On The Boulevard late one evening, she mixes a dollop of peanut butter into her highly-allergic sister's breakfast shake. The only romance Summer will be seeing that night is in the E.R!

Mariah and Camryn Grimes are exactly what was needed to spice up Tyler and Abby's storyline. Now if we can get the other youngsters sizzling, Genoa City would be a much more fun place to visit this summer.